Things which you must consider when you are designing an exercise program for a person or group include:
- Fitness level
- Fitness goals
- Age and gender
- Lifestyle
- Culture
- Family
- Habits
- Work schedule
All of these factors will influence how you design a program, and enable to you to design a program that is appealing, tailored and that meets the fitness goals of the person.
Understanding a person’s lifestyle, family and work commitments as well as their exercise preferences can help you to select activities and exercises that they will enjoy, as well as setting an exercise routine that they are actually able to fit into their lifestyle. There is no point telling someone who goes out for drinks with their friends on a Friday night that they need to be in an aerobics class at that time. At the same time, if someone tells you they are a night owl, an evening gym session will probably be more feasible than a 5:30am session. Cultural issues are also very important. Some exercises or activities will seem immodest or inappropriate to some ethnic groups.
Some people will have cultural or religious practises that limit the time or type of exercise they can participate in. For some women, for example, mixed gender exercise classes will not be considered appropriate. Organising training sessions that conflict with cultural or religious festivals will also cause conflict. All of these issues will also be important if you are also giving general dietary advice for clients.
Research has shown that for in general, anyone over the age of 40, there is a physiological advantage to exercise in the afternoon or evening, rather than the morning.
